"Guarding Over You and with You in My Heart": Pdaya Mark's Last Letter

The last letter. In the letter sent by Pdaya Mark, who fell in battles against Hamas terrorists, to his family before his entry into the Gaza Strip, he wrote: "Beloved family, challenging days are passing over the nation and our family in particular."

"We are strong," Pdaya wrote. "Am Yisrael (the nation of Israel) is strong, and the IDF is strong! I am guarding over you and with you in my heart. We are going to wipe them out. I will pursue the enemies, and I will not return until they are finished." At the end of his letter, Pdaya signs and hopes, "See you soon, God willing, Am Yisrael Chai (the nation of Israel lives)."

Pdaya Mark, hy"d, who completed an officers' course around 4 months ago, is the nephew of Rabbi Benny Kalmanson, the president of the Otniel Yeshiva, who lost his son Elchanan in the battle against Hamas terrorists on Simchat Torah.

Mark lost the rabbi in an attack nearly seven years ago. In that same attack, his mother was seriously injured and has required ongoing rehabilitation to this day. After a few more years, he also lost his older brother Shlomi, who was killed in a motorcycle accident on his way to a mission as part of his role in the Ministry of Defense.

In the past, he talked about his military service and the desire to be a combat soldier specifically due to his mourning: "I enlisted in March 2021. Initially, I was in the Sayeret Matkal combat unit, and after that, I started the Givati Brigade's training program. It was a very exciting event. I will be a platoon commander of new recruits in Givati's training base. I hope to continue as an officer and see serving in the IDF as a vocation."